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Flash Movie Review: Tomb Raider
ONE OF THE BIGGEST COMPLAINTS I have heard about treadmills is that they are boring. They don’t take the person anywhere is a frequent excuse why a person will not use one. I used to jog outside on the streets until I was almost hit by a car that was making a fast turn. That event was the last time I jogged on the streets. I tried running on sidewalks but I could not handle all the cracks and debris I found. To avoid them I switched to jogging on a treadmill. When this transition took place treadmills did not have video screens attached to them. I would turn on loud music as motivation and off I went on my run. Currently I have seen treadmills with video screens attached for the runner to either follow a programmed scenic trail or television shows. At the clubs I work at there are large monitors suspended in a long row from the ceiling facing the treadmills, so members have further options of what they want to look at while jogging. I can see where this could help or motivate a person to exercise. THERE IS ANOTHER COMMENT I have heard regarding people who jog. Some say the person is running away or to something they have on their mind. I do not know if I would make a blanket statement like that, but speaking for myself I do get lost in my thoughts while jogging. If there is something bothering me I usually focus on it and before I know it 30-60 minutes have passed by. But when you think about it isn’t any leisure activity prone to letting one experience a time of reflection? There are some members at the fitness center I am sure are working on some issue in their head as they go through their paces on the exercise equipment. Jogging, along with any aerobic activity, can produce endorphins which are hormones that get released in the brain to reduce pain and make one feel relaxed or full of energy, according to the dictionary. Knowing this as I do, I had to wonder what the main character in this action adventure film was going towards because she was doing an awful lot of running. FINALLY COMING TO TERMS WITH her father’s death Lara Croft, played by Alicia Vikander (Tulip Fever, The Danish Girl), was about to sign on as heir to the Croft fortune and take over the company’s businesses until she was handed a puzzle by the executor. The puzzle was only the first piece into solving the mysterious disappearance of her father Lord Richard Croft, played by Dominic West (Chicago, The Forgotten). With Kristin Scott Thomas (Darkest Hour, The Party) as Ana Miller, Walter Goggins (The Hateful Eight, Diablo) as Mathias Vogel and Daniel Wu (The Man with the Iron Fists, One Nite in Mongkok) as Lu Ren; this reboot was centered on Alicia’s character and she did not disappoint. She was more than capable to helm this story and in fact she would be the only reason to watch this picture. Some of her action scenes were crazy to watch; but overall they were not enough to support the weak script. There was little development of the characters and to tell you the truth I thought the special effects were nothing special. If I did not know better I could have sworn the writers took their inspiration from the Raiders of the Lost Ark story. The story here did not appear to be well thought out in my opinion; Lara was too busy running all the time to allow the viewers to fully connect with her and her plight.
2 stars
Flash Movie Review: Jinn
You see the two of them walking towards you hand in hand. They look almost identical except one looks fresh, the other one looks worn. Now I am not talking about a couple who have been together for years and are dressing the same. I am referring to a parent and their child. How many times have we seen children growing into similar features shared with their parents. These outside traits come about through a combination of the parents’ genes. I know my lost hair is because of my mother’s father; the trait of baldness gets carried down through one’s mother. My fascination gets stimulated more by the internal similarities between parents and their offspring. When a child’s taste in foods mimics a mother or father, I can assume one of the adults influenced them. But what about a son or daughter who grows up and goes into the same profession as their parent? I was introduced to a man who was able to trace his family’s history all the way back to the times of the Spanish Inquisition; we are talking about the late 1400s. He explained each generation in his family produced at least 2 scholars who kept detailed records. They even passed down several sentimental items to the younger family members, continuing it from generation to generation. A similar family history was the basis for this fantasy thriller. Dominic Rains (The Taqwacores, Flight 93-TV movie) and Serinda Swan (Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief), Recoil) played husband and wife Shawn and Jasmine. The quiet idyllic life they were living suddenly began experiencing unexplained events that were soon taking on an ominous undertone. Looking for answers Shawn found two men willing to help him, Father Westhoff and Gabriel, played by William Atherton (Die Hard franchise, Ghostbusters) and Ray Park (G.I. Joe franchise, X-Men). What they had to say was hard to understand. The trailer for this film had a mythical spookiness that intrigued me. It only took me a short while to realize this movie was going to be real bad. Wait let me change the end of that last sentence to say pathetically awful. I will start with the production values; they were horrendous with hokey special effects. If you were to watch a special effects filled film from the 1950s you probably would have the same reaction I had watching the cheap stunts in this movie. The poorly written script was made even worse by the sophomoric acting. This may be harsh to say but if the studio is considering a sequel I hope the family in this picture stops procreating.
1 1/4 stars
moviejoltz 